GDHQNBA15_2pg-Brooklyn Nets

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EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION
Brooklyn
Year Two of the Brooklyn Experiment was supposed to contain so
much more than just a new home, retro look and splashy arena. The
arrivals of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett would lift the Nets into Eastern
contention and make even the Heat worry. Or, at least that’s what was
supposed to happen. But Brooklyn only made it to the postseason’s
second round, where Miami made quick five-game work of it.
A year later, Pierce is gone, and Garnett will be lucky to play
50 games this year. The Nets are back on the Eastern Conference
periphery, and new head coach Lionel Hollins, who is in after one year
of Jason Kidd, is faced with trying to fashion a contender out of a roster
that is in transition and with some big names who have injury problems
that will limit their effectiveness.
The good news is that Brook Lopez is back in the middle, after
playing just 17 games last year due to injury. But his presence alone
can’t lift the Nets into conference title contention.
Defense
The idea that Lopez and Garnett would combine to form a toughto
handle interior tandem never quite materialized, as Lopez was
hurt less than a quarter of the way through the season, and Garnett
can no longer must the consistent energy and fight to be an inside
stopper. Having Lopez healthy will help, but remember that he is about
15 pounds lighter this year, the better to take strain off his foot, and
therefore a little less prone to waging consistent wrestling matches with
other team’s top pivots and power forwards. Lopez will still block close
to two shots a game, so that helps.
It will be interesting to see what Hollins does with the Nets’ D.
Brooklyn wasn’t awful in this regard last year, and it did do a pretty
good job in the first-round playoff win over Toronto of making sure
the Raptors didn’t get rolling. But there is work to be done, if only
to protect Garnett and Lopez
from too much strain at
the defensive end.
Johnson and Williams aren’t
going to overwhelm too many
people up top. Williams wasn’t
ever the quickest guy in the
first place, and now that his
ankles have been repaired, he
is even less prone to staying
in front of the League’s faster
point men. He is tough, though,
and his physical presence does
help. But that only counts for so
much. Johnson has never had
a reputation for his defensive
game, so unless Hollins can
implement a system that
can shield the Nets from his
deficiencies, whatever Johnson
produces will be matched
at the other end.
The loss of Shaun Livingston
hurts. He was a strong presence
at the defensive end, able to
guard a couple positions and
be disruptive. Jack isn’t in that
league defensively, but the
versatile Kirilenko is at the three, again provided he is healthy. Losing
Pierce hurts, too. He wasn’t that quick and wasn’t going to dazzle
with a lot of blocks, but Pierce understood how to handle forwards,
particularly inside and most importantly, against the top threats like
LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
Expect Plumlee to draw some tough interior assignments because
of his 6-11 frame and his quickness, which will allow him to step out
on shooters and recover to the inside if the ball heads into the post.
Offense
Even with Pierce last year, the Nets averaged just 98.5 ppg, good for
21st in the League. While he wasn’t close to his prime, he still provided
a good complement to gunning guard Johnson and gave Brooklyn
someone on whom it could depend when the shot clock started to
bleed toward zero. Without him, the Nets need Lopez to stay healthy
and produce and forward Kirilenko, who struggled with injuries last
year and scored only 5.0 ppg, to contribute more.
Johnson is clearly the primary offensive weapon on this team, and
after averaging just 15.8 ppg—his lowest total since 2002-03—he will
need to score more. Johnson has a good eye behind the arc and the
ability to score off the dribble. He cut back on his shots last year, and
Joe Johnson
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